Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 887,491. PATBNTED MAY 12, 1908. c. w. METGALF.

ACETYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov.1z

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No. 887,49l.

G. W. MBTGALF.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATONV FILED NOV.12, 1908.

PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

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C. W. METCALF. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. l2, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. METCALF, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

No. ser/,491,

Application led November 12, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs IV. METCALF, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene- Gas Generators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and clear description thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in acetylene gas generators by which gas is generated from calcium carbid.

It has for its object to provide a generator of simple construction and operation which is adapted to feed the carbid automatically.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter described and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the generator and gasometer showing them operatively connected. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the gasometer. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the generator. Fig. -1 is a horizontal section on the line A-B bf Fig. 1. Figs.

5 and 6 are broken central vertical sections taken at right angles to each other of the lower part of the water tank of the lgenerator showing the arrangement of the mixer. Fig. 7 is a broken view showing part of the automatic carbid feeding mechanism and its connection with the gasometer bell, and Figs. S and 9 are broken central vertical sections taken at right angles to each other, of the upper portion of the generator showing more clearly the feeding mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the water tank of the generator. Said water tank is provided with a cover 2 from which depends a cylinder 3 open at its lower end which extends into water when the machine is in operation. The cover is retained in place by the catches 4 engaging lugs 5 on the tank 1. The lower end of said tank is conical, as at 6, and communicates with the valve 7 leading to a four-way fitting or oint 8 whereby the water may be taken in and discharged at any desired direction. As shown in the drawings, the water is admitted through the valve 9 and pipe 10, Fig. 3.

A hopper or carbid holder 11 is mounted upon the cover 2 and communicates to the interior of the cylinder 3 through an opening Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 343,137.

in said cover. Said opening is adapted to be closed by a conical valve 12 to which is attached an upwardly extending rod 13 carrying a cross 14. The arms of said cross are shaped like an inverted V in cross section and aid in feeding the carbid to the cylinder 3. Below the cover 2 and. surrounding the valve opening is a bell-shaped flange 15 which serves to deflect the water condensation that may gather under the cover 2 and prevents the formation of gas at the valve which would be the result if said water condensation came in contact with the carbid. Said valve is mounted on a downwardly extending rod 16 shown broken away in Fig. 1, which connects with the feeding mechanism as will be hereinafter described. Said hopper 11 is provided in its top with a filling opening 17 closed by a cover 18 which is held in position by a cam 19 carried by a rod 20 pivoted to the hopper at one end and held down by a catch 22 at the other end. An emergency carbid filling nozzle 23 is arranged over an opening 2-/1 in the top of the hopper. Said nozzle is closed by a screw cap 23"L and contains an 'adjustable feeding slide 25 which is,arranged on an incline and is regulated by a set screw 2G.

The generator tank 1 is also fitted with an emergency water filling nozzle 28 communieating with said tank through an opening 2S). Said nozzle is arranged opposite the desired water line as is also the faucet 27 shown in Fig. 3.

The generated gas is carried to the gasometer through a pipe 31 extending 'from near the top of the cylinder 3 down through said cylinder and out near the bottom of the generator tank where it is attached to the three way valve 32 by means of the union 33. Said valve is operated by the handle 34 which extends over the cover 2 when the valve is open to the pipe leading to the gasometer. The pipe connections 35, 36 and 37 lead from the valve to the waste tube 410. By means of this valve when the machine is stopped the connection to the gasometcr may be closed and the remaining gas in the generator discharged from the machine. The connection 37 is fitted with an extension 38 leading to the plug 39. An overflow passage 41 for the tank of thegeneratoris illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Said passage opens at the top of the tank and may be led o'fl' to any desired point.

The gasometer consists of a cylinder L12 having a closed bottom 43 and open at the top. Inside said cylinder 42 is the gasometer bell 44 which rests on the bottom 43 when the machine is not in use but which is raised by the pressure of the gas when in operation. The cylinder 42 contains water 4when the machine is in operation and the desired pressure on the gas is obtained by the weight of the gasometer bell pressing upon the water. Rollers 45 are attached to the side of the bell nearest the valve regulatingmechanism which will be presently described. Said rollers are mounted on pins 47, arranged between brackets 46 and extend through slots in the bell and bear against the inner surface of the cylinder 42. The gasometer bell is guided in'its upward and downward movements by perforated strips 48 and 49 secured at opposite -sides to the top of said bell and fitting around guide rods 48a and 49a which are fitted with stops 48b and 49b at their upper ends. Portions of the bottom edge of the bell are cut out at 52 and 53 to permit said bell to come down upon the bottom 43 over the inlet pipe 50 from the generator and the distributing pipe 51.

Outside the gasometer, the distributing pipe 51 is connected to a valve 54 from which leads the pipe section 55 carrying the T-shaped connection 56. Below said connection 56 is arranged an extension 57 fitted with a plug 58. Above said T-shaped connection is arranged a gas filter 59 containing two screens 60 and 61 between which any suitable filtering material may be packed. From the upper end of said filter pipe connections including the elbow 62, union 63 and T-shaped piece 71 lead to the pipe 72 from which the gas is distributed wherever it is desired. Also connected to the T-shaped piece 71 by means of the short pipe section 64 and elbow 65 is a vertical pipe 66 extending up into the inner tube 68 of the safety valve 67. Said tube 68 is closed at the top but has a port 69 near its bottom leading into the outer tube or casing of the safety valve the upper portion of which is flared and provided with a cover 70 through which the gas escapes. The safety valve should contain enough water to withstand the desired pressure. /Vhen this pressure is exceeded, the gas forces its way through the pipe 64, down inside the tube 68, out by port 69 and outside through the cover 70.

At the lower end of the water tank 1, and

operating in the conical part 6, is a mixer consisting of a perforated vertically arranged plate fitting said conical part. Said plate is supported by a rod 74 mounted on the crank end 71a of a rod 71 supported in an upright 72 on a cross piece or plate 73 which is secured to the side of the water tank 1. Said rod 74 is passed through a perforation 74L in the cross piece 73 and its movements are guided thereby. The other end of said rod 71 extends through the side of the tank' and is bent to form a handle 71b by means of which the mixer may be agitated. The circle of movement of the crank 71a is indicated by the dotted line 76 and the course of the bottom edge of the plate 75 when it is agitated is represented by the dotted line 77 in Fig. 6.

As shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the rod 16, which carries the carbid feed valve 12, is passed through a guide 78 and pivoted at its end to a lever 80 at 79. Said lever 80 is pivoted at 81 to a hanger 82 and is also connected to a second lever 84 by means of a pin Y' 85 engaging slot 86. Said lever 84 is also pivoted to the hanger 82 as at 83 and passes through the slot 95 in the cylinder 3. The outer end of said lever 84 is connected at 88 to a rod 87 which extends up through the cover 2 and is pivoted to a lever 883L as at 89. Said lever 885% is pivoted to the bracket 90 at 89a. Also pivoted to said bracket is a lever 92 which extends over and is connected at one end to the guide strips 48 on the gasometer bell. The other end of said lever 92 is connected to the lever 88a by means of a pin working in slot 91. By means of this system of levers, it will'be seen that when the gasoineter bell rises to a certain height the carbid feeding valve 12 will be closed while the sinking of said bell a greater or less distance below that height will cause said valve to open more or less thereby providing for the generation of more gas until the bell is rately pivoted on a hanger in said tank with l their adjacent ends having direct sliding connection with each other, the other end of one of said levers connected to the rod carrying said valve, another rod extending up through the cover and connected to the other end of the second lever, and means connected to the rod extending through the cover and with the gasometer bell for automatically operating said valve.

2. The combination, with a gasometer, of a generator comprising a water tank, a cover for said tank from which is suspended a cylinder extending down below the water line, and a carbid holder communicating with the interior of said cylinder, a valve adapted to regulate the feeding of said carbid, a rod on which said valve is mounted, two levers separately pivoted on a hanger in said tank with their adjacent ends having direct sliding connection with each other, the other end of one of said levers connected to the rod carrying said valve, another rod extending up through the cover and connected to the other end of the second lever, a system of levers lor controlling the carbid feeding valve and pivotally mounted above said cover, one of said levers connected to the gasonieter bell and another oll said levers being weighted and connected to the rod extend' ig through the cover.

3. The combination, with a gasonieter, of a generator comprising a water tank, a cover for said tank from which is suspended a cylinder extending down below the water line, and a carbid holder communie ating with the intei'ior of said cylinder, a valve adapted to regulate the feeding of said carbid, a rod on which said valve is mounted, two levers sep arately .pivoted on a hanger in said tank with their adjacent ends having direct sliding connection with each other, the other end of one of said levers connected to the rod carrying said valve, another rod extending up through the cover and connected to the other end ol' the second lever, two levers separately pivoted to a bracket extending above said cover and having direct sliding connection with cach other, one of said last mentioned levers being connected at one end to the rod extending through the cover and carrying a weight on the other end, the other of said levers being connected to the gasoineter bell whereby the carbid feeding valve is automatically operated.

In testimony whereof I have a'Hixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES lV. METCALF.

Titnessesn ANNA E. GREENLEAF, J. 7. MASTER. 

